


College Boy

by rainingravens



Series: An Illustrated Pynch [6]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish Loves Ronan Lynch, College Student Adam Parrish, Kinda including short story Opal but kinda not, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-17 05:57:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14826638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainingravens/pseuds/rainingravens
Summary: Adam has started college. Ronan comes for a surprising first visit.





	1. Where are we?

Adam paced his dorm room. He glanced at his watch again. Not even five minutes since the last time he'd looked. He paced some more. His roommate, Ben, looked over at him from his bed and said, “What is up with you, Adam? You're like the EverReady bunny. The carpet's not going to hold up if you keep doing that.”

 

Adam stopped dead in the middle of the room. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you,” he said in a subdued voice.

 

“No need to be sorry, I'm not bothered, I'm just worried. You don't normally act like this. You got an exam coming up?”

 

”No, I've got a Ronan coming up!” Adam's face lit up and a joyful smile appeared. “It's his first visit since I started here.”

 

“Holy shit, I finally get to meet this guy, I was beginning to think he was a myth.”

 

“Yeah, but not tonight. He's told me to bring a change of clothes. He said and I quote 'I'm not fucking kissing you in front of some random fucker. Fuck that!' So he's picking me up out front. If he ever gets here!”. Adam looked at his watch again, “He's late and he's not picking up...not that that's unusual." He frowned. “I hope he hasn't...” His phone rang. “Ronan!” he sang as he answered it.

 

'Fucking traffic!” he heard in his ear. “Where are you?!”

 

“In my room, I'll be right out.”

 

Adam grabbed his overnight bag and saying a hasty goodbye, hurried out of the room and down the hallway. He rushed down the flights of stairs and barreled across the lobby, dodging students left and right. He pushed open the front door, and there he was, his own personal miracle, parked in front of the entry in a no parking area, truck still rumbling, passenger window open, and a huge smile on his face. “Get in, loser!” he yelled, making people who weren't already looking at his truck turn and do so.

 

Adam rolled his eyes and sauntered toward him, no longer in any hurry now his object was in sight.

 

“He-ya, handsome,” he said as he leaned in the window, “long time no see.”

 

“Too fucking long! Get in the truck, Parrish, and stop fishing for compliments!”

 

“I was not!” exclaimed Adam indignantly. The truck roared and he hastily climbed into the cab, throwing his bag onto the back seat. Ronan looked at him. He looked back. They sat staring at each other till a “Get this vehicle outta here!” came through the open window. Adam turned and saw a uniformed man glaring at him. No, not at him, at the driver. Ronan flicked him the bird and slammed the truck in gear. With another roar, it leapt forward leaving the uniform coughing behind them.

 

“You're an asshole, Lynch.”

 

“But I'm your asshole, Parrish.”

 

“Yes you are.” said Adam firmly.

 

Ronan drove to the freeway and headed south. Adam watched the scenery go by, having never been outside his college town since his arrival. About twenty minutes later, Ronan headed the truck up an off ramp, and ten minutes after that they were in a mixed commercial, light industrial and residential area. Apartment buildings rubbed shoulders with old factories and small businesses and commercial buildings.

 

“Where are we?” Adam enquired.

 

“You'll see,” was the only reply.

 

Ronan turned left, then right at the next street. This street had the same mix and halfway down, Ronan indicated right and the door in a large, blank, brick facade slowly lifted up. Adam looked quickly at Ronan, then at the open doorway. Ronan guided the truck through the entry hall and parked in a large, dimly lit...Adam would have said room but it seemed too small a word for the space. Ronan climbed out of the cab and walked round to Adam's door and opened it.

 

“We're here.”

 

“Where is here?” asked Adam.

 

“Follow me”.

 

Ronan lead the way to a freight elevator and after closing the gate pulled the lever on the wall. The elevator lurched upward. Adam grabbed at the wall, clutching the bump rail and squeaking in his distress. Ronan threw his arms around him, burying his face in Adam's hair and stroking his back. “Be cool, Parrish, we're only going up one floor.” Adam blushed, annoyed he had given his fear away. Ronan nuzzled his neck but stopped as the elevator bumped to a halt. “We're here.”

 

“Where the shitting hell is here, Ronan?!”

 

Ronan just let him go, pulled up the gate and stepped into a lobby, brighter lit than the first floor, with high ceilings and white painted brick walls. He reached back and grasped Adam's hand and pulled him out of the elevator. Ahead of them was a door and this was where Ronan took him and unlocked. Letting go Adam's hand again he pushed the door open and stepped through the doorway, Adam following him curiously. The door opened into a huge, empty loft, a wall of windows in front of them giving a view out over the rooftops. Adam looked about him in puzzlement.

 

“What is this place, Ronan?”

 

Ronan looked at him quickly and as quickly looked away. He lifted a hand to his mouth and started gnawing on his wristbands. “It's mine.” he muttered.

 

“What?!” exclaimed Adam.

 

Ronan pulled his hand away from his mouth and Adam visibly saw him pull his shoulders back. He looked like he was on parade, facing a staff sergeant. “It's mine.” he repeated louder, “It's for me and Opal to stay in when we come visit. And for you of course. If you want.”

 

Adam was gobsmacked. His brain reeled, trying to reconcile what he was hearing. “What? But...I mean, what?!”

 

“We can't stay with you in the dorm. It's not safe for Opal and it's too fucking small for me. And Chainsaw. And I don't want all my visits to have a fucking audience!”

 

Adam was still stunned, both by the size of the space and because Ronan had never mentioned one word of it. He cleared his throat and tried to think. “When did you...buy?” “Yep, bought it!” “When did you buy it?”

 

“While you were nerding out with your fellow nerds in July. I was bored, I wanted something to do. But the more places I looked at...well, it started to look sensible.”

 

“Sensible?!”

 

“Yes, Parrish, fucking sensible! Even Declan thinks it's a good idea. Well, a good investment anyway.” He took Adam's hands in his and brought them to his lips. “We needed somewhere safe to stay when we visited and I liked this place as soon as the realtor brought me here.”

 

“It's kind of like Monmouth,” said Adam, “but cleaner and the kitchen's not in the bathroom.”

 

“And we don't need to sleep in the fucking lounge!” said Ronan with a smirk. “Come upstairs.”

 

Ronan dragged Adam all over the loft, first showing him the mezzanine floor accessed by an iron staircase, with a huge, bare, king sized bed in solitary splendor and a massive adjoining bathroom with a big tub and shower. He took him back downstairs, showing him the kitchen and bathroom before opening another door and revealing a spare room. Adam looked at this and said, “Opal?”.

 

“Maybe, maybe not. Come and look at this.” Ronan pulled him to the far end of the loft where a door height partition separated the main room from a smaller. A rolling barn door lead into it, Ronan sliding this back and entering.

 

“I think this is maybe supposed to be a study or some fucking thing? But we'd hear Opal if she was in here and the other one is pretty soundproof.” He looked at Adam. “Be better for Gansey and Blue if they visit, we really don't wanna hear them, do we?”

 

“And we don't want them to hear us either!”

 

“Fuck NO!” Ronan visibly squirmed at the thought. “So waddaya think? Do you like it? Are you mad at me?”

 

Adam thought for a while, Ronan waiting (im)patiently for his response. He walked back into the middle of the main room, Ronan following, and turned slowly around, gazing at it all. “I do like it. It feels cozy. Which is pretty silly considering how big it is. But I do like it. A lot. And yeah, I am a bit mad at you. God, how much did it cost?!”

 

“It's an investment, Parrish! We use it till you finish college, then we sell it.”

 

“We? You. You sell it, it's your place, I'm just visiting.”

 

Ronan threw his hands in the air and spun on the spot. “NO! You are not 'just visiting'. When we are here, you're here with us, we are TOGETHER! In OUR place. Just like when you come to the Barns. It's your HOME. This is too. And we don't need to be here. Anytime you want a break from that fucking shoebox you call a dorm room, this is here for you. If you want to move in fulltime, it's here. But you don't have to, I won't get pissy if you don't. I'll even try not to get pissy if you don't stay here with us.” Ronan broke off and took Adam's hands again. “Though I doubt that's possible so I guess I'll just be pissy if you don't.”

 

Adam took a deep breath and stepped close to Ronan. He pulled his hands free and wrapped them round Ronan's neck. Looking into his eyes he said, “I'm a bit mad at you for not talking to me before you bought it.”

 

“I thought you would go thermonuclear and say no.”

 

“Maybe I would have but you didn't give me the chance to say yes and go looking with you.”

 

“Should I sell it? I can, I can sell it and we can go look together.”

 

“Don't you dare! I'm kinda falling for it so don't do that.”

 

“Wait till you see the roof!”

 

“The roof? Why would I want to see the roof?!”

 

With that, Ronan pulled him back out the door and over to a set of stairs in the corner of the lobby. “Up you come, Parrish!” he shouted as he dropped his hand and tore up the stairs ahead of him.

 

Adam followed quickly behind him and walked out onto a paved area in front of what could only be called another fairyland. The roof had high brick walls; was turfed with grass; dotted with trees, bushes and flowers; and even had a pond in one corner. But the most amazing thing was a small, oddly shaped building on his left in the back? front? corner. This was what appeared to be a stone cottage, complete with leadlight windows and a dark painted front door.

 

“Oh my god, this is incredible!”

 

“Yeah, it's what really sold me on the place. Opal and Chainsaw can dick around up here all day and no-one can see them.” He looked down at Adam. “I looked at a lot of places all over, I nearly bought another loft, it had three bedrooms. But it was too flash, you would have hated it and there was nowhere for Opal to run around outside. I kept coming back to this one. It cost more because of the first floor and the roof but it meant we have so much more privacy. And the roof for Opal.”

 

“But why doesn't it all crash through the roof into the loft?”

 

"Because whoever did this really knew their stuff. I had it surveyed by an engineer and he says it's safe. All the girders were strengthened and it's got proper drainage and everything.” He came closer to Adam and slung an arm round his shoulder. “You like?”

 

“Like?! I love it! It's, it's just...fucking stunning. Like your own private park!”

 

“Our, Parrish, our private park. Though the brat will probably claim it and never let us up here.”

 

“We'll buy her off with tree bark and she will.”

 

“Yeah, she would, there's not much she won't do for tree bark.” Ronan said fondly. “We better get going, that bed downstairs is going to be fucking uncomfortable without some bedding.”

 

And so Adam let Ronan lead him back down to the truck and take him shopping. Not something he had expected to be doing that afternoon but something he would be doing with Ronan and thus, as Ronan had said, together and for their second home. It had a nice ring to it.

 


	2. A Grasshopper comes to a Sad End

Adam spent the whole weekend with Ronan, furniture shopping, sleeping and messing about in the most comfortable bed in the world (“Did you dream it?” “What do you think?”), more shopping, arranging the shopping, a lightning visit to his dorm for his homework (Ronan, this is Ben, Ben, this is Ronan” “Wow, you're alive!” “What the fuck else would I be?!”), more sleeping, some more very serious and very seriously fun messing about, homework, more fucking shopping, more homework, more fucking arranging. By the time Ronan dropped Adam off at school Monday morning, he was heartily sick of shopping for furniture and appliances and utensils and things for the cupboards and plates and...indeed if he never saw another shop again it would be too soon, and resolved to make Ronan do it alone. Or mostly alone. And considering Ronan appeared to be bitten by the squander bug, it would happen.

The following Friday he was waiting outside his dorm for Ronan AND Opal. Ronan's reason for not bringing her the previous weekend had been sound...if Adam had exploded over the loft purchase, Ronan would just as soon she not see the fallout. Plus she would not be able to go shopping with them and couldn't be left at the empty loft alone. Catch 22. So she stayed at Fox Way and everyone was happy. Except Calla but she was never happy.

But this weekend she was coming up and Adam was ridiculously excited to be seeing her. It made him realize how much he loved and missed her...almost as much as he loved and missed her cranky Irish creator.

He kept looking up the street for the black truck and got a hell of a fright when a black car suddenly stopped right in front of him and blared its horn. “Get your ass into gear, Parrish,” yelled Ronan from where he was hanging out the driver's window and looking at him over the roof, “we haven't got all fucking day!”

“What the actual fuck?!” whispered Adam, yet again in shock.

The door of the car swung open and the gleeful face of Opal was all he could see. “Adam!” she screeched, “Adam, Adam, Adam!”. There was a second screech from Chainsaw. Adam acknowledged quietly to himself that he had his own cheerleader's squad and climbed in the car. Opal squeezed between the seats and hugged as much of him as she could reach, Chainsaw hopped into his lap and pecked at his hands, and Ronan just grinned a shit-eating grin at him.

“Howdy, Parrish.”

“Hello, Lynch and what the fuck is with this car?!”

“Opal hated the truck and won't go anywhere in it. Fucked if I know. I had to get something to get us here. And this thing MOVES! The truck, not so much.”

“That sounds more like the reason.' replied Adam.

“No way! The brat HATES the truck, she gave me so much fucking grief every time I had to take her somewhere in it.”

Adam turned round to Opal. “Why? What's wrong with the truck, Opal?”

“It smells bad.”

“Oh bullshit, it's brand new!”

“It smells.”

“Can't argue with that, Lynch”

“She's full of shit, there's nothing fucking wrong with the truck!”

“It makes me feel sick.” said Opal. “And it smells bad.”

“I guess we've finally found something Opal's stomach can't handle...”

“Has she even GOT a fucking stomach?”

...and it's a truck. Go figure.”

Opal was very excited over everything in the loft. She bounced on her bed, leapt over and jumped on the couch, hid under the table when Ronan got mad at her for jumping on the furniture, and she and Chainsaw disappeared into the trees when taken up to the roof.

“Guess we can take a breath now,” said Ronan as they walked back down the stairs, hand in hand. “Or maybe we could take a nap” He hipchecked Adam and laughed when he tripped, grabbing him before he fell down the stairs.

“You asshole! Why would I want to take a nap with you?!”

“Oh I don't know. Maybe cos you missed me and want to canoodle?”

“Canoodle! What sort of porn are you watching?! Something from the 1920's?!

“Fuck you, Parrish!” Ronan turned red and got huffy. “I might as well go back on the roof and play hunt the goat.”

“Don't get like that! I'm not going to 'canoodle' with you. At least, not while Opal's here and awake. I'm up for a cuddle. I haven't even had a kiss yet.”

Ronan pulled him into his arms and held him tightly. “No kiss, huh? I better fix that.” and he did. Several times.

Later as the sun was disappearing and the room was getting dim, Ronan nuzzled Adam's face as he lay in his arms. 'I better go fetch the kids, must be getting chilly up there.”

“Not that Opal seems to notice,” Adam mumbled into his chest.

“No, not that she seems to care at all. But I better go anyway, Chainsaw's probably pissed with me.” He climbed out of the bed and stretched. Adam lay looking at the long, lean length of him and was transfixed by his beauty. He shook his head at the word but it was the right one. Ronan was truly beautiful and Adam was truly in awe of that beauty. Ronan noticed his stare and gave a lascivious look from under his lashes. “Down boy, Opal's still awake, you'll have to wait till later.”

“Oh fuck off, Lynch, way to ruin a moment without even trying.”

“And what moment did I ruin? Asked Ronan with an eyebrow raised.

Adam rolled over and hid his head under a pillow. “Fuck off, go get your freezing offspring before they turn into popsicles.”

Ronan laughed as he pulled on jeans and a tshirt “Can't fool me, Parrish!”

“That's what you think,” muttered Adam into his pillow. A few minutes later a very cold Opal crawled in bed with him and excitedly told him all her adventures and finds on the roof. “There were butterflies and bees and fish in the pond and I found a grasshopper and Chainsaw sweared at it and then she ate it! My grasshopper!”

“Oh dear, that was real naughty of her but it's what birds do, they eat insects.”

“But it was MY grasshopper!”.

After Adam soothed her, they both got up and he sent her down to where he could hear Ronan banging pots and pans. One of the things Adam loved about the loft was the shower. He indulged himself every time he could, just because he could and also because the dorm showers were pretty awful. Not as bad as St Agnes but not a lot better. He guessed it was because a few thousand people were all showering at the same time. But here the water was always hot, the pressure always high, and he could stand under it for hours. Not that he did. But he could if he wanted.

After his lovely hot shower he dressed in sweats and socks and padded down the stairs to the kitchen. Ronan was stirring something on the stove and Opal was perched on a stool, elbows on the counter, gnawing on a carrot.

“Carrots, Opal? When did you start eating them?”

“I pulled them out of the garden and they were yummy!”

“Only Opal would think that dirt is a fucking condiment!”

“They are better with dirt, Kerah! But I still like them like this.” She looked at the carrot she was munching, “Can you get dirt in a box like salt? Then I could put it on before I eat them.”

Adam burst out laughing and Opal scowled at him. “I'm sorry, Opal, maybe we could look the next time we go shopping.” He had to take a deep breath when he said that in case he started laughing again. But he also didn't want to hurt her feelings again so he tried extra hard and managed to keep himself under control.

“Are you completely mad, Parrish?! You can't get...” Adam flew round the counter and clapped his hand over Ronan's mouth.”Mmmmph!!”

“We will look, won't we Opal?”

“Yes, Adam, cos my carrots don't taste as good.”

Ronan glared at him over his hand and Adam pulled it away. “You asshole, Parrish!”

“But I'm your asshole.”

“I don't know why but yes you are.”

“What are you cooking anyway?”

“Soup.”

“Soup! Please tell me it's homemade!”

Ronan frowned at him. “Of course it's fucking homemade. Is there any other kind worth eating? I made it yesterday and put it in the freezer and brought it up frozen. It was warm enough in the car that it almost thawed. There's a loaf of bread I baked before we left this morning in that bag.” pointing with his spoon.

“Oh my god, Ronan, what did I do to deserve you?!”

Ronan looked down at him severely and Adam quailed. “You didn't and don't have to do anything. There is no 'deserve' in our relationship, got it?! We are a family and that's what families do.”

Adam felt suitably chastised, even though he knew Ronan knew he had been joking. But behind every joke like that was the specter of his upbringing. Deep down, Adam still doubted his worthiness. Ronan knew this and never ever wasted an opportunity to disabuse him.

Adam put his forehead on Ronan's shoulder. “I know. But don't stop stirring your soup, I think it's burning.”

Ronan yelped and returned to his pot. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, all that and I fucking burn it!” He stirred furiously. “Nope, just in time. You're a little shit, Parrish, now put the plates out.” Adam laughed and did as he was told. Opal declined the soup in favor of another carrot and a thick crust of Ronan's bread. She took these to her room and left the two boys together.

Adam ate some of his soup and crusty bread and looked up from his bowl. “Ronan”, he said. “Mmmm?” came the reply. “I do know, just, sometimes I forget. Not all the time, just, sometimes. Never when I'm with you. Or when I'm eating your burnt soup.” He ducked as Ronan threw a paper napkin at him.

“It's not fucking burnt! It's just a little...char grilled is all.”

Adam smirked and finished his plateful. He held out his bowl and in his best little southern boy voice said, “Please, sir, can I have some more?”

Ronan got up from his stool and crowded into Adam's space. “Some more what?” he said in a ludicrous attempt at a sexy growl.

“Soup, Lynch, I'd like some more soup. I'm very partial to char grilled soup.”

“Humph” replied Ronan.

“Opal is still awake,” Adam reminded him, “and you were the one who decided she shouldn't be in the sound proof room.”

“I'm a fucking eejit.”

“That you are!”

“You don't have to fucking agree with me!”

“I do when you're telling me something I actually agree with.”

“I hate you.”

“Of course you do.”

“I don't.”

“I know.”

“Should I change her room?”

“No, you were right. If she had a nightmare and we didn't hear her...that would be bad.”

“Yeah, it would.” He looked down to where he was still crowding Adam. “I guess it's soup then,” he sighed sadly.

Adam cackled uncontrollably, bending over the counter and clutching his sides. “Not forever, Lynch, just till Opal goes to sleep. We're not condemned to 'soup' forever.”

Ronan gave him a glare then grinned. “I'll never think of soup, when I hear the word soup now...it's always going to mean cockblocking from now on.”

Opal wandered out of her room as he said that and tripped across to them. The bare wood floor made it difficult for her to walk on it, her hooves slipping. As Ronan said, it was her own fucking fault, she hated wearing the boots he had dreamed for her. So she suffered the floor in her love of freedom.

The two boys watched her making her way over to them, Adam with a look of worry and Ronan with his trademark scowl. She made it safely to the counter and climbed onto a stool. “Kerah, can we live here?”

“No, we live at the Barns.” Her face dropped. “But we will be here weekends when Adam is at school.” Her face lit up. “Most weekends,” he amended, looking down at Adam. “We will be here most weekends except when we can't and I'll let you in plenty of time.” Bending his head and kissing the top of Adam's, he added, “I wouldn't want you to get all keen on 'soup' and be disappointed”, chortling and giving Adam an evil grin. Adam blushed and pushed him away.

“That's not 'soup', 'soup' is NOT getting any soup!”

“That makes absolutely no fucking sense at all, Parrish, I thought you were a genius!”

“Oh, fuck off, Lynch, you know what I mean.”

“I don't”, said Opal, “you two are being weird again.”

Both boys blushed at that. Ronan separated from Adam, grabbing his bowl and going to get his actual soup. “Mind your own business, brat” he muttered as he walked away.

Adam looked at Opal. “You really like it here?”

Opal nodded enthusiastically. “I love being here with you and I love the trees and the grass and my room, and...” she trailed off and looked down at the floor, “I don't like the floor, it's really slippery.”

“You could wear your boots,” Adam suggested gently.

“I hate my boots! They are so heavy and they feel horrible,” she wailed.

Adam looked over at Ronan by the stove. “Maybe Kerah can dream something lighter, just for wearing inside.”

Ronan glanced back at him and turned holding the bowl of steaming soup. As he walked toward them, “I could try. What would you like them to be like, Opal?”

“Lions!” she squealed, “Blue has some, they're fluffy with claws on the front. Can I have some like that?”

Ronan sighed longsufferingly but both Adam and Opal knew it was for show. “I guess. You want some too, Parrish? Socks aren't very warm on this floor. We could all have lion feet.”

Adam's first reaction was refusal. But he stomped on that and grinned at Ronan “That sounds fun. The lions can live here and look after the place when we're away.”

Both Opal and Ronan looked at him and rolled their eyes. “That's super dumb”, said Ronan. “You're weird,” chirped Opal.

"Sooooo unappreciated in my own home,” said Adam. At this Ronan's face and eyes lit up and plonking the soup in front of Adam, he threw his arms around him, “Unappreciated my fucking ass! But yes, in your own fucking home!”

Adam smiled up at him and leaned his head on Ronan's chest, “It really does feel like home here, almost as much as the Barns.”

“That's pushing it, Parrish, you know what Dorothy said...”

“Don't say it!”

“...there's no place like home!” Ronan finished and even clicked his heels.

“You are SO gay.”

“Never said I wasn't. But at least I don't listen to Madonna!”

“No, just shitty EDM that sounds like a dial-up modem!”

“I'm actually offended by that!”

“I'm offended every time you play it. And so is my one remaining ear!”

“Squash one, squash two...” sang Ronan.

“NO!!” screamed both Adam and Opal. But it was too late, they were inflicted with an entire rendition of the Worst Song in the World (TM), despite moan and groaning and sticking their fingers in their ears. When Ronan finally finished, they looked at him nervously, fingers still jammed in their ears, afraid he might give a second performance. When Ronan opened his mouth, they flinched in unison and, laughing, he collapsed to the floor. Opal jumped off her seat and threw herself on top of him, hand over his mouth. They tussled for a few moments, Adam looking down on them fondly, a goofy smile on his face.

Yes, this is my life now, he thought, a mad Irishman and a screeching satyr. Chainsaw soared down from the rafter she had claimed (over a clear patch of floor, Ronan had noted gratefully) and landed on Opal's back. And a squawking raven, he added to his list. God, I love them so fucking much, he thought, and slid off his stool to join the pile. Eejits, we're all fucking eejits and I'm turning fucking Irish! Not the worst thing in the world one could definitely say.


	3. Fuck you, Parrish!

After several weekends of visits and a lot more shopping, Adam got a Skype call from Ronan on a Tuesday night. Just the look on his face when he answered the call and Adam knew this wasn't going to be good.

“Hey, what's up? You look like someone ate your best friend. ”

“Fucking Declan, that's what's up,” grumped Ronan back at him.

“Oh dear, what's he done? I thought you two were getting on great.”

“We are, kind of. It's fucking freaky, I haven't punched him in months. Though I'm reconsidering that now!”

“Tell me what's wrong. And you're not going to punch Declan.”

“Just fucking watch me!”

“I have and it's not pretty.”

“You think I'm pretty, Parrish?”

“Oh for fucks sake, Ronan, yes, you are pretty, no, your punching is not, and what the hell has Declan done to piss you off?!”

“I'm not fucking pretty, I'm a fucking man, Parrish!”

“Yes, you are a fucking man but that's not what we're taking about. WHAT DID DECLAN DO?!”

“Did you just make a sex pun?”

“RONAN!!”

“He's pissed with me coming up to see you every weekend and not going to St Agnes. Fuck him, I've been looking for a church up there.”

“That's not what it's about though, is it? He's mad because you're not going to St Agnes WITH MATTY AND HIM!”

“I guess. But fuck him, I want to come and see you, not him!”

“But what about Matty? He must be missing you like crazy.”

That's what Dec said.” Ronan heaved an enormous sigh and laid his head on the laptop keyboard so all Adam could see was the top of his head. So that's what it looks like, he thought.

“So what are you going to do? You can't make Matty sad like that.”

“What about me? I'll be fucking sad if I don't see you! But yeah, I miss him too.” He lifted up his head and looked at Adam mournfully. “I think I'll have to go with them this Sunday.”

Adam tried really hard not to let his face give away how much this hurt. “Great! He'll be so happy to see you. And so will Declan. Maybe.”

“Fuck Declan! He'll think his lecture worked and he'll be insufferable. He'll think I'm actually doing something he told me to.”

“But aren't you?”

“Fuck NO! I want to see Matty! But I want to see you too so I'm driving up Thursday instead.”

“But Ronan, I work Thursday night!”

“What the fuck are you working for, you got a full ride!”

“Don't start that again, please. You know I work in the library and that's not negotiable. I don't get off till 10 o'clock.”

“Fuck,” muttered Ronan, “can you still come over?”

“I don't think so. Thursday's usually pretty busy and I don't get time to study so I'll have to do that back in my room.”

“Bring it here!”

Adam looked at him sardonically. “Oh yeah, that's really worked well before. The only time I get to study on the weekends is when you go shopping. And I think the loft is at peak stuff.”

“Fuck you, Parrish!” Ronan glanced away from the screen then looked back at Adam out of the corner of his eye. “Am I really that bad?”

“Not BAD, just...I really need to study and sometimes it's hard.”

“It's always hard for you!,” leered Ronan.

“What are you?! Five?! I have to study, you have to let me. OK?”

Ronan sighed another long longsuffering sigh and nodded at the screen. “Yeah, I know, you're a nerd and you need to nerd.”

“Exactly. So can you deal?”

“Not Thursday night. If you arrive at the loft and nerd out on me for hours, I'll get pissy, I just know it?”

“So, what then?”

“I'll come visit you at the library...you get a break?”

“Yeah, eight o'clock but only fifteen minutes.”

“So I'll swing by, eight o'clock, bring you coffee and doughnuts, feel you up and fuck off.”

Adam choked, “You ass! But that sounds good.”

“Even the feel up?”

“RONAN!”

“Ok, I'll fuck off now. I'll tell the big asshole I'll see him and Matty on Sunday.”

“You'll head back Saturday?

“I'll see if Opal can go to the witches, I want some us time. Been a while.”

Adam was immediately set alight. Alone, just the two of them. Fuck his weekend study, he'd do it Sunday.

“Ok, Lynch, drive carefully, avoid the loonies. Oh, I forgot, you're one of them!”

“Fuck you, Parrish, and a fucking good night to you. See you outside the library, I'll be the one with the boner.”

Adam slammed his laptop shut, thanking providence his roommate was at his campus job. I love a complete asshole, he thought.

 

Thursday night was as busy as Adam had predicted but the time still passed slowly. When eight o'clock finally crept around he headed outside for his break. It was cold out and there was no sign of Ronan. Wonderful, he thought, he's fucking late. He jumped at a pair of arms snaking round his waist and relaxed at the breath in his ear, “Miss me?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“Guess I'll go home then.” Adam turned in Ronan's arms and put his hands behind his head, pulling the taller boy down to him.

“Don't you dare.” They exchanged kisses and hugs before Adam did a full body shudder.

“Why aren't you wearing your jacket, Parrish?”

“Guess I forgot.”

“They do say geniuses have no common sense. Come on, your coffee's over here.” Ronan pulled him over to a bench seat in the shadow and handed him a now lukewarm coffee and a paper bag.

“Were you sitting over here when I came out?”

“Yep! And all doe-eyed and shit you looked when you couldn't see me.”

“You are such an asshole sometimes!”

“Only sometimes?”

“No, all of the times!”

“A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!”

“Whatever. The coffee's cold and the doughnut's stale . I call it a fail. Yeah, I know, fuck me!”

“Parrish! Not here in the bushes, what do you think I am, kinky?!”

“Argh, you are the WORST! Dammit, I gotta go back to work, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be there just after two.”

Ronan gathered him in for one last hug and kissed him hard. “Tomorrow, don't be late.”

 

 

The next day Adam drove the BMW into the loft garage and parked beside Ronan's truck. Hmmm, he thought, he's going shopping. AGAIN! What the hell does he want this time? How is there any ROOM?!

After a day sitting on his ass the stairs seemed a good way to get some exercise plus the elevator was up at the loft. Not that he liked the elevator. As he came out into the lobby he was puzzled to hear voices; one a distant Ronan cursing, the other, lighter, female, BLUE?! He barreled in the front door and almost bowled her over.

“Adam!” she squealed and threw her arms around him, “it's so good to see you!”

Adam wrapped his arms around Blue's shoulders, “What are you doing here? I thought you were in ...where were you the last time we talked, I can't keep track.”

“Texas? I don't know, I get lost and I'm IN the Pig.”

“If you've got Gansey driving I'm not surprised you get lost.”

“Oooooo, miaow, college is sharpening your claws!”

“Maybe, but what are you doing HERE?”

“We arrived in Henrietta yesterday, found Opal at Fox Way, rang Ronan and he told us he was on his way here, so we decided to drive up today and surprise you. SURPRISE!”

“He never said a word last night!”

“Duh! Adam, that's what a surprise is?”

Adam grumped. “Whatever!”

Blue smirked up at him, “You are such a nerd. But I do love you.”

Adam smiled down at her and gave her a squeeze, “I do love you too.”

“I beg your pardon! Unhand my woman!”

Blue laughed at Gansey over her shoulder and Adam beamed at his best friend, “Never! She's mine now.”

“I don't fucking think so, Parrish!” scowled Ronan from behind Gansey.

“Oh yeah?!” sniped Blue.

“Fucking A!”

“Fucking A?! Ronan, what are you telling me?!” Blue let go Adam and pointed at Ronan.

"Fuck off, Maggot, go make your bed or something.”

“I don't make beds, that's what I keep Gansey for.” she quickly shot back.

Ronan threw his hands in the air and stomped into the loft proper, “Go! And take your man with you!”

Finally alone with Ronan, Adam put his arms around his waist and tucked his face into his neck.”What the hell are they doing here?”

“Fucked if I know but it looks like we're stuck with them,” nuzzling into Adam's hair and wrapping his arms round his shoulders. “I didn't have any say at all, I was bulldozed by a midget.”

“Sure you were!”

“I was! I tried to get them to come up next weekend but a certain someone kept singing “tomorrow, tomorrow, we'll be there tomorrow.”

“You could have refused to give them the address.”

“Oh sure, like that would have worked! She'd have declared total fucking war and blown up my phone, I woulda had to get a new number. Ms Relentless, remember?”

“I remember. So. No you and me time. I'm pretty sad about that.”

“Me too, Parrish, me too! I had plans, big plans, mostly involving us with no pants, and a flat surface.”

“Sooooooooooo much too much information!”

“Maggot, I fucking told you to go!”

"Whatevers. You forgot pillowslips. Gansey has issued orders for pillowslips and I defy you to ignore them.”

“Watch me!”

“I am watching you and you look pretty freaked if I may say so.”

“You may fucking not! Parrish, where are the pillowslips, save me!”

 

Some time later, the new bed in the spare room made up to Gansey's exacting standards, and he and Blue flopped out on the new sofa (“The fuck, Lynch, we already HAVE a sofa!” “If you think I'm sharing a sofa with Opal and Matty, you're crazy!” “Matty?” “Oh yeah, I may or may not have asked him up here next weekend” “RONAN!”), Adam and Ronan crashed around in the kitchen preparing dinner. Blue wandered over leaving Gansey sprawled out in front of a history documentary on TV.”What you cooking?” she asked, looking at all the chopping boards and bowls filled with sliced vegetables festooning the counter.

“Spag Bol,” announced Ronan, “Italy via Ireland so...different.”

“Should I be scared?”

“Of course you should be scared! When have I ever done anything not scary?!”

“Do I have to answer that?”

“Adam, she's dissing me in my own kitchen!”

“Leave me out of this, I'm only the tomato chopper.”

Ronan leaned over and kissed his cheek, “And a very attractive tomato chopper you be!”

“Gross! Can you please stop making out in the kitchen?!”

Ronan's eyes darkened. “It's my fucking kitchen, Maggot, be thankful Parrish is not spread out...”

“No!!” screamed Blue, I'm gonna need bleach to get that out of my brain!”

“Go back to your boyfriend then. This kitchen is only for the brave.”

“Can I go then?”

“Fuck you, Parrish, keep chopping.”

 

Ronan's spaghetti was adjudged to be the best ever eaten. Blue threatened to lick all the plates clean but was dissuaded by a wincing Gansey. Ronan scoffed at him and said it made the plates easier to clean. Gansey gently but insistently ushered Blue back to the sofa and returned to the kitchen to announce he was doing the washing up. If he had any notion that Ronan or Adam would insist that as he was a guest he shouldn't, he was speedily disabused of this and found himself left lonely, arms deep in soapy water.

Cuddled together on the old (a whole three weeks old) sofa, Adam asked Ronan how the hell he had got the bed delivered same day.

Blue sat up quickly, “It was great! He just kept throwing $20 notes at them till they said yes! I've never seen anything like it!”

“I have,” Adam said balefully,”it's a disgusting sight.”

“No it's not! It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen...$20 notes floating down all over the floor.”

“What else is the fucking use of money?!”

Adam suddenly sat up, “Where's the Pig?! She's not down in the garage.”

“We stuck her in a secure lockup. Can you imagine if she'd decided not to fucking start in there?”

Adam and Blue looked at each other with matching horrified expressions. Adam lay back again and said, “That is the most logical and sensible thing I've ever known you do. Are you feeling ok, Lynch?”

For the last time that evening he heard, “FUCK YOU, PARRISH!!!”


	4. Who wants Coffee?

Saturday morning started quietly with Blue banging on the stairs and demanding coffee.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” Ronan cursed, “who the fuck asked her to visit?!”

Adam mumbled incoherently into his pillow and got a nudge and a “What the fuck?” He lifted his head, opened his eyes, peered at Ronan, opened his mouth, then dropped back to his pillow, eyes closed again.

“Fuck me, I'm sleeping with a zombie.”

“Where's my coffee?!” bellowed up from below.

“I swear,” said Ronan as he dragged himself away from Adam's warm and much-loved body, “I fucking swear, Maggot...”

“That's all you ever do, Ronan, you only ever curse and swear. What about MAKING ME A COFFEE!”

Ronan dressed and stumbled down the stairs and glared at the pint size at the bottom. “You are a fucking menace!”

“I do my best.”

“You nearly woke Parrish. Fortunately he coma-ed again.”

“Fortunately?”

“Yes, fortunately! He gets fuck all sleep, works every hour God gave to man and I would really like that at least here, he gets some fucking sleep.”

Blue blinked at him and looked aghast. “I'm sorry, I didn't think. I actually forgot, how bad is that. I am a terrible friend.”

“No, you're not,” he said, “far from it. Just, a little quiet when he's asleep? Please?”

“Are you bullying Blue?!" Gansey emerged from the bedroom, looking like a shaggy professor, glasses perched on his nose, and looked at Ronan bullishly.

“Gansey, you do NOT have to be my knight in shining armor, we've talked about this. I was noisy, Ronan asked me not to wake Adam, we're cool. Right?”, she said looking at Ronan.

“We are.” said Ronan. “Dick, you're on coffee duty. Get to it!”

“Why is it always my fault?” asked Gansey plaintively as they walked round to the kitchen.

“I don't know! Are you awake? Yes? That's why.” Ronan pointed at the machine. “Coffee.”

“Are you sure you trust him with your coffee machine?”

“Even a moron couldn't fuck it up.”

“We're not talking about a moron, we're talking about a Gansey.”

“Blue! That's very harsh.”

“But true, Gansey. Remember...actually don't, it's too painful.”

“I am very hurt by this unilateral lack of faith in my abilities, I am not that bad.”

“Yes, you are!” came as one from his girlfriend and best friend.

“Dick, I don't have nearly enough time in my life to list all your fuckups. Let's just say many, very many.”

“But what about yours? You have had...fuckups too but I do not continue to enumerate them.”

“Jesus wept, it's too early in the day for 'enumerate'. And where's my fucking coffee?!”

A bleary-eyed, unhappy looking Adam stumbled into the kitchen, bounced off the wall cupboards before coming to rest by the middle counter. The other three stared at him, struck dumb and looking like possums in headlights.

“Do you people have to make SO. MUCH. NOISE!” as he slumped onto a stool and laid his head on the counter. “So. Much. Noise.” he whimpered into his folded arms.

“Fuck, I'm sorry, Adam, I tried to shut them up...”

“The last thing I heard was 'where's my fucking coffee' and it wasn't Gansey or Blue!” Adam turned his head on his arms and glared at Ronan. “All I wanted was a sleep in. Just a little sleep in. But NO! World War fucking Three had to break out AND WAKE ME UP! I hate you all.” he wailed into his arms again.

The three stood irresolute looking at each other. Was he serious? It looked it but you never knew with Adam Parrish. He was a bona fide asshole, a card carrying little shit, a winder up of biblical proportions and sarcastic to boot. But he did like his sleep when he could get it.

Breaths were held, bodies were still and voices were absent until Adam raised his head and looked at them. “Oh for god's sake, you lot! You look like you got caught playing hooky. You woke me up, make me coffee.”

With that a collective breath was released and three bodies unfroze.

“You fucker, Parrish, you actually had me worried.” said Ronan, coming over and ruffling Adam's hair.

“I'm very sorry, Adam,” said Gansey, “I did not mean to contribute to your sleep deficit.”

“The fuck, Dick? Can you at least speak English to the poor guy?”

“Oh shut up, Ronan, I understood him. It's ok, Gansey, it wasn't you who woke me up.”

“Who would that have been then?” enquired Gansey.

“Let's not go there,” said Blue hurriedly, “that's not going to get the coffee made.”

“I'll bet, Maggot!” smirked Ronan, “I could tell but I won't.”

“Oh don't you start, Lynch, it wasn't just me!”

“Oh really? Who thumped on the staircase? I'm pretty sure I was in bed. Where were you, Gansey? In bed too? How strange. So Mizz Nobody woke up Adam, that bad girl!”

“I hate to say this but I STILL don't have a coffee. In fact, as far as I can tell, no-one's even switched the machine on. Can we have less talk and more do?”

The plaintive tone in Adam's voice pushed Ronan into action and he turned and flicked the switch. “Finally!” breathed Adam.

Ronan banged about collecting mugs and milk and sugar, and a very long, long time after Blue first bashed on the staircase, a cup of coffee was poured and Ronan grabbed it. Carefully adding milk and just the right amount of sugar, he lifted the cup to his lips and took a slurp. “Ahhh, that is just fucking lovely!”

“You absolute asshat, that was supposed to be my cup!” Adam snarled.

“Hang on, I'm pretty sure that's my cup!” growled Blue.

“I don't mind waiting.” said Gansey.

 

Hours later, when Adam was left alone in the loft, after Ronan took Gansey and Blue back to the Pig, when they all headed home with strict instructions for texts when they arrived, he looked all around the big space and sighed. I already miss him, he thought. But homework wouldn't do itself so he pulled it out of his bag and spread it out on his desk. His desk, in, gulp, his loft, where he would spend the night and next day in peace, quiet and, he glanced around, cozy he thought firmly. He bent his head to his books and shut the world out.


	5. A Perfect Day?

Ronan was pissed. Not an abnormal state of affairs but one he'd hoped to avoid this morning. Both his goat girl and raven were MIA and he had raced all over the house, round the house, even out into the fields calling them and getting more pissed as each minute ticked by.

Opal knew they were heading north and, dammit, she always looked forward to heading north to Adam. So why the fuck she had fucked off he could not fathom. What made it more annoying was they were picking up Matty in DC on the way through. That made him pause, did Opal not want to see him? He shook his head, nah, she loved Matty, for all he was a teenage boy, the two of them romped around like preschoolers and had a lot of fun together. Hands in hips, face scowling and temper flaring, he stood in the kitchen in defeat. He was stymied. Rubbing his hands across his bristly head, he muttered more curses and threats of defenestration. Not that it would work with Chainsaw. He decided to go put the bags in the car anyway, maybe the brats would have turned up when he came back in. Grabbing the bags of food from the table, he headed out to the barn where he kept his new car, being it was more than a little too pricey to sit outside as the weather deteriorated.

Out at the barn he was concerned to see the side door open. Fuck, he thought, who the hell has been in here?! He dropped the bags on the ground, quietly sneaking in and ready to take out whoever or whatever was in there. He couldn't see anyone as he carefully crept around and nothing seemed disturbed. Huh, he mused, maybe I left the door open myself. But he knew he hadn't. Suddenly the door beside him swung open and he leapt in fright, “Kerah! When are we going?!”

“Jesus fuck, Opal! You scared the shit out of me! What the hell are you doing in here? I've been calling all over for you!”

“You didn't call in here,” she said reasonably, ”me and Chainsaw have been waiting for ages and AGES!”

“You little puke! Tell me you're coming out here next time. I've wasted a fucking hour looking for you! Matty is gonna be sitting there thinking we're not coming.”

Opal frowned, “He will wait for us. Won't he?” she said in concern.

“I guess but you're gonna tell him why we're late. Now, get in the back and buckle up. I'll go get the luggage and lock up.”

Ten minutes later the black BMW was on the road, EDM blaring, Ronan's lead foot hard down, trying to make up time. Three hours later they pulled up in front of Declan's townhouse and he blared the horn. The front door opened and Mathew barreled out carrying his bag, a huge smile on his face and blond hair flying. Locking the door, he rushed over to the car and flung open the door, “You're late!,” he cried.

“Talk to the goat, she's the reason”, bit out Ronan, “get in and let's get out of this hellhole.”

Mathew threw his bag in the trunk and thumped down into the passenger seat, accepting a hair ruffle from Ronan and a one armed hug from Opal. Chainsaw just croaked at him from her nest behind Ronan's seat.

“This is so great! I'm really looking forward to seeing the loft!” Ronan glared at him as he dodged slower vehicles in his way. “And Adam! I'm looking forward to seeing Adam too! But I've seen him before and I've never seen the loft.”

Ronan forgave him with another hair ruffle and went back to concentrating on getting them out of DC without killing anyone.

Mathew happily did all the talking, telling Ronan everything he'd been up to since church on Sunday. With school and his friends, his sports and homelife, there was a lot to tell. Ronan listened to him fondly, tossing in an occasional word or jest but mostly focusing on his driving. An hour later both Opal and Mathew were asleep in their seats and Ronan could put all his attention to the road. He sped north, Adam getting closer and he getting happier. He loved the Barns but he was beginning to realize he loved Adam far more. Leaving him early last weekend had hurt so much and catching up with Matty on Sunday had not made up for it.

Another couple of hours brought them into the outskirts of his town and ten minutes after that they were turning up his street. Mathew was awake and bouncing in his seat, as excited as a kid at Christmas.

“Wow!, he exclaimed when Ronan pulled up in front of the building, “it's huge!”

“It's an old factory so, yeah, there's a lot of it alright,” said Ronan as he drove into the garage. Mathew was ecstatic at the freight elevator and Ronan could see him riding up and down in it all weekend. The two boys emptied the car into the elevator and after closing the street door and locking the BMW, they lurched their bumpy way up to the loft.

“This is so cool!” Mathew said excitedly, “I've always wanted one of these!”

“One of these what? An old factory?”

“Nah, one of these elevators! They're so cool!”

“Not much use having an elevator without a building round it.” snarked Ronan.

“I know! I just know I like the elevators, I don't know what I want one in yet.”

Ronan ruffled his hair again as the elevator shuddered to a halt. “Plenty of time to think about that. And we'll have this place at least four years so you'll have lots of time to mess about in this one. Just make sure you shut the outer gates, I don't want to deal with fucking broken legs or necks.”

“Four years?," said Mathew, ignoring Ronan's instruction though he knew he would heed it, “ Is that how long Adam is gonna be at college?”

“Nope, that's just how long he's going to be at THIS college. He might go somewhere else for post-grad, he hasn't decided yet. Hell, he's only been here two months.”

“When will he get here today?”

"Not sure, he's usually here just after two but he's got some study thing after class so he'll be late.”

Ronan wrangled bags, Opal, Chainsaw and Mathew into the loft. Opal was in heaven. She took Mathew all over, starting with her room, opening every door and drawer in the place to let him see what was there. He bounced on the spare bed and gave it his approval. Ronan handed him sheets and pillowslips and left him and Opal to make it up. After unloading the food into cupboards and fridge, he took his bag upstairs and unpacked into the dresser. Living out of a suitcase had gotten old real fast. He took an quick shower and went downstairs in sweats and lion slippers to the kitchen.

He called the other two in for sandwiches and a drink and sent them off up to the roof to explore. That should keep them occupied for an hour or so he thought. He had a quick look around the loft himself to check everything. It really needed a quick run round with the vacuum cleaner but he also really could not be fucked. Maybe I can strongarm Matty...this is too fucking domestic for a fucking street racer, he thought, and went back up to his bedroom for a nap.

He woke to a commotion downstairs and a lot of screeching from Opal. Unable to understand a word, he resolved to just stay in bed and ignore it. But footsteps coming up the staircase, and followed by hoofsteps, made him think his naptime was over. Raising himself on the elbows and looking balefully at the top of the stairs, he readied himself to cuss out the intruders. But the dusty head of hair appearing turned his scowl into a huge smile. Adam was home and he needed nothing more to complete his perfect day.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't given up on my previous work but the computer holding it is refusing to start. So I've jumped over the summer and we are into Fall. It's also really hard to do rendering on this laptop so it'll words only till my desktop re-animates.


End file.
